☞ LISTEN: Marc Cary at the Gatehouse

2012: The Hip Hop Experiment, Saturday night, September 26th, starting from 6 PM at Harlem Stage at the Gatehouse Theater. Dialogue, open bar and live entertainment. All music genres must change and adapt to be current and relevant. So what is the future of Hip Hop? Bandleader and composer, Marc Cary will host a discussion at the Gatehouse Theater which will bring to stage Hip Hop, Soul, Jazz and Electronic artists who are shaping its future. See the full night's list of events and buy tickets on line at the Harlem Stage website: LINK. The Harlem Stage in the Gatehouse Theater is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. See past post on the Gatehouse Theater: LINK

☞ SEE: Chapel/Chapter Rewind

The final show for this summer at the Gatehouse Theater was the performance of Bill T. Jones, Chapel/Chapter. For those who missed it, the theater's website has provided a short clip of the show. There should be a new schedule in fall, so enjoy the clip while you wait for future events. The Harlem Stage in the Gatehouse Theater is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Website: http://harlemstage.org.Take the 1 train to 137th Street. Read more about the Gatehouse Theater's history in our original post: LINK. See past post on the Gatehouse Theater: LINK

☞ LISTEN: Maurice Brown at the Gatehouse

FREE Concert. Tonight, November 19th, performing 7:30 PM at the Gatehouse Theater. Award-winning jazz trumpeter Maurice “Mobetta” Brown takes us on a musical journey for all ages that is sure to excite bebop enthusiasts and hip-hop heads alike. The Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium recently inducted Brown into Brooklyn Jazz Hall of Fame, and he is the recipient of numerous awards including the Deacon Leroy Applin Young Lion/Lioness Award and the ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards. Get a last minute RSVP at the Harlem Stage website: LINK. The Gatehouse Theater is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. Read more about the Gatehouse Theater's history in our original posts: LINK. For more information on Maurice Brown, visit his official website: mauricebrown.net

☞ LISTEN: Dana Leong at the Gatehouse

Saturday, Dec 12th, 8:30 PM at the Gatehouse. MILK & JADE by Dana Leong brings Harlem Stage’s fall season to a close with an unforgettable, genre-bending performance. Described as crafting "lines of sublime lyric content" (Chicago Tribune), and "sizzling, highly stylized solos" (Philadelphia Inquirer), Leong as both a performer and composer has worked with top artists including Paquito D’Rivera, Dafnis Prieto, Ray Charles, P. Diddy, Kanye West, Wynton Marsalis, Yoko Ono, Ryuichi Sakamoto and many more. MILK & JADE by Dana Leong is considered as one of the country's urban music quartets that best reflects the talent and diversity of musicians from across the United States. See details and RSVP at the Harlem Stage website: LINK. The Gatehouse Theater is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. Read more about the Gatehouse Theater's history in our original posts: LINK.

☞ SEE: Dominicanish at The Gatehouse Theater

Starting Friday, November 6th and 7th at 7:30 PM with a Sunday, November 8th Matinee from 3:00 PM at the Gatehouse Theater. Josefina Baez comes to Harlem Stage to present the finale to a 10 year journey across the globe with her acclaimed solo work, Dominicanish. These final three performances will be accompanied by an exhibit at the Rio Gallery 583 Riverside at 135th St 7th floor Manhattan and numerous humanities activities. Understanding the true power of language, Baez uses nonlinear, poetical and nonsensical texts combined with dance, to tell stories of the Dominican experience in Spanish, English, and “Dominicanish”. Purchase the $20 advanced tickets at the Harlem Stage website: LINK. The Gatehouse Theater is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. Read more about the Gatehouse Theater's history in our original posts: LINK. Photo courtesy of Harlem Stage

☞ SEE: Chapel/Chapter

Chapel/Chapter at the Gatehouse Theater,Thursday through Sunday, June 11-14, Thursday through Saturday showings at 7:30 pm and Sunday performance at 3:00 pm. This is the big event for Harlem Stage this year showcasing legendary choreographer Bill T. Jones and the Arnie Zane Dance Company. All Tickets are $40 and can be purchased on the website.The Harlem Stage in the Gatehouse Theater is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Website: http://harlemstage.org. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. Read more about the Gatehouse Theater's history in our original post: LINK

☞ LISTEN: Holding It Down at the Gatehouse

Wednesday, February 10th, 7:30 PM at The Gatehouse. Tickets: $15. Acclaimed pianist/composer Vijay Iyer and celebrated poet/performer Mike Ladd, with Iraq veteran and poet Maurice Decaul, launch a new work-in-progress of music and poetry commissioned by Harlem Stage’s WaterWorks program. Continuing on the heels of their groundbreaking collaborations In What Language? (2003) and Still Life with Commentator (2006), Iyer and Ladd will collaborate directly with young American war veterans of color from the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to create a new work with the working title Holding it Down.

After interviewing veterans of color specifically about their dreams - be they harrowing, surreal, or mundane- Iyer and Ladd will build an evening of music, poetry, and song around soldiers' dream narratives. The Gatehouse Theater in Hamilton Heights is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. Read more about the event at the Harlem Stage site and buy tickets: LINK

SEE: E-MOVES AT THE GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Friday, April 10th, 7:30PM, E-Moves Celebrating James Baldwin and Billie Holiday at the Gatehouse Theatre, 150 Convent Avenue by 135th Street. Now in its 16th year, the acclaimed dance series E-Moves commissions 4 exceptional choreographers to create works inspired by the words and ideas of Baldwin and the soulful songs of Holiday. Performed over two consecutive weekends, the series concludes with a roving performance of site-specific works by nine emerging choreographers in and outside the Gatehouse for the Harlem Stage Takeover. It all concludes with a dance party you won’t want to miss.  More details and tickets at the Harlem Stage site: LINK

☞ LISTEN: Van Hunt at the Gatehouse

Saturday, February 27th, 7:30 PM at the Gatehouse. Tickets: $25. Grammy Award winning artist Van Hunt graces the stage to kick off an an unforgettable season of Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage. Van Hunt and his powerhouse band will present masterful classics from his self-titled album, Van Hunt, On the Jungle Floor, his unreleased album, Popular and Use In Case of Emergency. The lyrical TreZure opens the evening with a soulful set of original songs. DJ Cosi keeps the evening spinning with opening and closing sets and moments in between. Harlem Stage is at the Gatehouse Theater in Hamilton Heights is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. See more and buy tickets at the Harlem Stage site: LINK.

☞ SEE: Children of God at the Gatehouse Theater

TONIGHT, Monday, June 7th, 7:30 PM at The Gatehouse. Filmed in the breathtaking Bahamian islands, this love story is a groundbreaking look at the lives of three very different people--a young gay artist, a closeted musician and a conservative pastor's embittered wife--and the ramifications of living in a homophobic and violently repressive nation.

The Gatehouse Theater in Hamilton Heights is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. See additional information and buy $14 tickets at the Harlem Stage site: LINK . www.childrenofgodthemovie.com

☞ SEE: Carmen & Geoffrey at the Gatehouse

Saturday, April 10th, 4:00 PM at the Gatehouse. This film is about the work of American artists, Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder who stepped forward in the 1950's to play a vital part in the newly energized world of modern dance. It is also about a forty-seven year long marriage and creative partnership that has sustained their accomplishments. Over the past three years, Linda Atkinson (a student of Carmen’s) and Nick Doob have filmed the virtually uninterrupted creativity of this couple, now in their 70’s. The film’s style is spontaneous, intimate and revealing, showing Carmen and Geoffrey’s natural penchant for uncommon good humor. Lead Sponsor of Harlem Stage on Screen HBO.

The Gatehouse Theater in Hamilton Heights is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. See information on additional performances and buy $10 tickets at the Harlem Stage site: LINK

☞ REMEMBER: The Gatehouse circa 1906

There are not too many photos around of the Croton Aqueduct gatehouse but the above image from circa 1906 shows what this intersection over at 135th Street and Amsterdam Avenue used to look like. In the distance is the Convent of the Sacred Heart and cobblestone streets are most notable on the surrounding blocks.  Today City College holds court in the area but the Gatehouse itself is a remarkable adaptive reuse theater that provides a cultural venue for the West Harlem communtiy. Archival photo via NYPL

☞ SEE: 761st at the Gatehouse Theater

FREE EVENT: Wednesday, Feb 3rd, starting 7:30 PM at The Gatehouse Theater. The 761st was the first unit to enlist African-American soldiers to operate armored vehicles in WWII. What the Tuskegee Airmen were to the skies, the 761st was to land. They were requested by General George S. Patton to assist with heavy fighting during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. The soldiers of the 761st Tank Battalion fought for 183 consecutive days, in six countries, and with great success despite a fifty-percent casualty rate.

Despite these undeniable accomplishments, the 761st Tank Battalion would not receive their due credit until April 20, 1978 when President Carter issued the Presidential Unit Citation to them. It took 52 years before Staff Sergeant Ruben Rivers would be awarded a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor (January 13, 1997) in a ceremony presided over by President Clinton.

In 761st, twelve of these great soldiers recount their experience in the United States Army, fighting for a freedom overseas that they did not enjoy in America. Screening followed by Q&A with Pete Chatmon and reception. Harlem Stage is at the Gatehouse Theater in Hamilton Heights is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. See more at the Harlem Stage site: LINK. RSVP at boxoffice.harlemstage.org

SEE: E-MOVES AT THE GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Friday-Saturday, April 17th-18th, 7:30PM, E-Moves Celebrating James Baldwin and Billie Holiday at the Gatehouse Theatre, 150 Convent Avenue by 135th Street. Now in its 16th year, the acclaimed dance series E-Moves commissions 4 exceptional choreographers to create works inspired by the words and ideas of Baldwin and the soulful songs of Holiday. Performed over two consecutive weekends, the series concludes with a roving performance of site-specific works by nine emerging choreographers in and outside the Gatehouse for the Harlem Stage Takeover. It all concludes with a dance party you won’t want to miss.  More details and ticket sales at the Harlem Stage site: LINK

☞ SEE: La Onda Chicana at the Gatehouse

FREE, Tonight, Wednesday, September 9th starting 7:30 PM at the Gatehouse Theater. La Onda Chicano or The Chicano Wave, is a film by John Valdez that traces Mexican-American music and its move from fringe culture to the mainstream. The director will also be available for open discussion at tonight's wine and cheese reception in the lobby. The Gatehouse is located at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street (Across from Aaron Davis Hall). To RSVP, call 212-281-9240, ext. 19 or 20 or go to the Harlem Stage web site: LINK. Closest subways are the 1 train at 137th Street or the A,B,C,D at 125th Street.

☞ SEE: I Remember Harlem at The Gatehouse

Wednesday, September 15th, 7:30 PM at The Gatehouse Theater. Oscar nominee Bill Miles has produced and directed numerous award-winning documentaries dedicated to African American history and achievement, including I Remember Harlem. Miles spent three years researching materials for I Remember Harlem, a four-hour special which traced Harlem's 350-year history, as a visual counter to the oral histories in the film. Harlem Stage is screening a one-hour compilation of the series on Wednesday. The film won an Alfred I. DuPont Columbia University citation and an American Film Festival Award. Screening followed by Q&A session with filmmaker and reception.

The Gatehouse Theater in Hamilton Heights is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. See additional information and buy $10 tickets at the Harlem Stage site: LINK

☞ WALK: The Trinity Cemetery Gatehouse

The distinct stone and cast iron walls that wrap around Trinity Cemetery never ceases to amaze, and there seems to be something new to look at every time we pass by since the plot of land is quite large (it extends from Riverside, to Broadway and finally ends at Amsterdam Avenue). Turning at 153rd Street and Amsterdam, we noticed the pitched-roof cemetery gatehouse for the first time at the corner intersection of the outer walls. To our surprise, the compact house was in pretty good condition and the minute dormers at the roof and the original cast iron cresting still remains intact at top. That little fountain on the right-hand side is also pretty sweet. The gatehouse has always been there but we must have been pre-occupied with the surrounding architecture to take notice. Read about all things Trinity Cemetery related in our past post: LINK. The closest subways to this location are the C train at 155th or the 1 train at 157th Street. Photo by Ulysses.

☞ SEE: Evidence Dance at the Gatehouse

FOUR SHOWS! June 17th-20th, 7:30 PM at The Gatehouse Theater. Founded by Ronald K. Brown in 1985 and based in Brooklyn, New York, Evidence, A Dance Company focuses on the seamless integration of traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word. Brown uses movement as a way to reinforce the importance of community in African American culture and to acquaint audiences with the beauty of traditional African forms and rhythms.

The Gatehouse Theater in Hamilton Heights is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. See additional information and buy $35 tickets at the Harlem Stage site: LINK

☞ SEE: Children of God at the Gatehouse Theater

Monday, June 7th, 7:30 PM at The Gatehouse. Filmed in the breathtaking Bahamian islands, this love story is a groundbreaking look at the lives of three very different people--a young gay artist, a closeted musician and a conservative pastor's embittered wife--and the ramifications of living in a homophobic and violently repressive nation.

The Gatehouse Theater in Hamilton Heights is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. See additional information and buy $14 tickets at the Harlem Stage site: LINK . www.childrenofgodthemovie.com

☞ ARCHITECTURE: Inside The Gatehouse

The Harlem Stage website just posted some interior shots of the multi-million-dollar renovated interior for those who could not make any of the shows yet. The City of New York converted this old pumping station into a great theater for the community, thus preserving an iconic structure in West Harlem. The Harlem Stage in the Gatehouse Theater is at 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Tel: 212.281.9240. Website: http://harlemstage.org. Take the 1 train to 137th Street. Read more about the Gatehouse Theater's history in our original post: LINK